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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to sealing products and improved methods of application to provide an impenetrable and either permanent or quickly and easily removable durable, protective coating for a variety of surfaces or uses.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98
A search of the prior art located the following United States patents which are believed to be representative of the present state of the prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,618, issued December 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,716, issued March 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,001, issued December 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,637, issued December 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,355, issued November 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,681, issued August 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,626, issued April 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,788, issued July 1984; and G.B. Patent No. 1 306 020, issued February 1973. These references, however, suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages, as more specifically detailed below.
Numerous masking or coating compounds or methods are known in the field of art to seal or otherwise protect surfaces or finishes from undesired contact with processing or construction unrelated to the surfaces or finishes. These known compounds or methods, however, do not adequately protect against penetration by foreign objects contacting or otherwise resting on the sealed surface and which become further forced into the surface by foot-traffic, accidental dropping, or similar external forces related to construction or repair activities taking place proximately to the sealed surface area. The sealed surfaces presented in the prior art are most suitable to temporarily protect against paint overspray, sun damage, weather damage, or similar non-impact invasion. These prior art surfaces, however, lack durability and require time consuming, separate applications and drying times for any associated release agents plus the protective surface for removable applications. The prior art application methods do not use individually portable application means, thus limiting their range and suitability for applications in close quarters.
Also, the prior art require release agents or first barrier coats to be dried before applying the protective coating (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,618, column 3, lines 53-59). The prior art is similarly limited to protecting horizontal floor or similarly flat topographies (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,618, column 3, lines 23-25).
None of the prior art is durable enough for repeated use on identical protective surface topographies.
Some of the prior art teach the use of latex based materials which do not provide suitable protective coatings for the applications using the materials or methods of the present invention.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an economical, durable multi-purpose surface coating.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a surface coating which is also quickly and easily applied to any surface in one application.
Another object of the present invention to provide such a surface coating which is also quickly and easily applied to any surface without requiring drying of any pre-coat or release agent coating.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a surface coating which can be quickly and easily removed once the activity upon or around the surface, and which activity is being guarded against, has ceased.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a surface coating which can be permanently applied, depending upon the application, to guard against weather, water, sun damage, wind damage, or to provide specific desired benefits such as improved traction for wet surfaces.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method to allow for portable self-contained applications of such surfaces using apparatus known in the art.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a surface coating which is impenetrable from most activities which would otherwise scrape, chip, gouge, crack, scar, dent, or discolor an unprotected surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a surface coating applicable to unfinished or finished surfaces including, but not limited to, porcelain, concrete, metal, stone, tile, glass, plastic, wood, or composite materials, regardless of the vertical or horizontal orientation of the finished surfaces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a surface coating in order to avoid scratching, nicking, marring, chipping, staining, painting, and abrading unfinished or finished surfaces including, but not limited to, porcelain, concrete, metal, stone, tile, glass, plastic, wood, composite materials, and the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved spray on surface coating application which is durable enough to be reused on surfaces presenting identical surface geometries.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are described with particularity in the claims attached to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the descriptive materials in which there are described various preferred embodiments of the invention. Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description.